Compass

by Jeanne McDonald

Ryan gasped as Declan and Reagan burst into laughter. Declan hugged Alexis up tight in his arms, rocking back and forth. “You give him the ride of his life. Lord knows he needs it.”

  Alexis smacked his chest. “You’re a sick bastard, you know that?”

  A wicked grin pulled at the corner of Declan’s mouth. “And proud of it.”

  Ryan stepped up behind her, pulling her hips to his. The heat of his body against hers sent Alexis’ heart racing. His nose grazed along her earlobe and her stomach constricted with want. “Ready to get out of here?”

  Alexis closed her eyes, her senses heightened. She could feel the way his hands pressed into her pelvis, suggestive and full of longing. Her ears honed in on the unsteady rhythm of his breathing. She could almost taste him on her tongue, aching to feel his kiss ─ deep and wanton. Ryan pulled her hair back from her shoulder, trailing his nose up her neck.

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  He pressed a light kiss to her jaw, just below her ear, before moving around her. He took Reagan in his arms, giving her a hug. “Knock ‘em dead.”

  Reagan laughed, patting his back before shoving him away. “Thanks. Now get out of here.”

  Ryan and Declan shook hands and pulled into a quick man hug. Alexis heard Ryan whisper to his friend, “Take care of her for me.”

  Declan gave a swift nod. “She’s safe with me, Fisher.”

  Moments later, Alexis found herself exiting the Texas State Fair. The sun was starting to set and the heat of the day was giving way to the chill of the night. It’d been an interesting day, but the night held promises she’d only ever dreamed off. They reached Ryan’s vehicle and before he opened the passenger door for her, he pulled her into his arms, kissing her with such fervor, he left her breathless.

  “My place?” she asked, forcing air into her lungs.

  His mouth quirked into a grin. “You read my mind.”

  Her apartment was dark as they entered, except the light that constantly remained on above her stove. Only the sound of her own heart beating could be heard. Or was that his heart? She had no clue, but she knew it was strong and consistent. The whole drive to her apartment had been a sort of innocent yet sensual game. Foreplay. He trailed his fingers along her leg, never reaching where she ached for him to go. His intermittent glances and coy smiles rattled her, teasing her with promises of what was to come.

  The click of the deadbolt echoed through the room. Ryan approached her, his green eyes smoldering in the dim light, but still there was no rush in him. No pushing, no gnashing of teeth, no ripping each other’s clothes off in a mad haste as two people attempted to ravage one another. Instead, he was calm as he extended his hand to her. She accepted, lacing her fingers through his, as she followed him up the stairs.

  In her room, Ryan turned to her. His outstretched hand cupped her cheek. Heat burned through her skin. Her heart clenched in her chest at the look of love on his face. Fear, want, need, acceptance, these things haunted her. Her mind waged in war at what the light, sensitive touch of his fingers trailing down her cheek to her neck meant. She hungered for his love, which frightened her. Giving herself to him could only lead to hurt.

  Oh, but it’s so worth the pain for the pleasure.

  Ryan tilted his head, his gaze deep and wanton, as he pulled her close to him. “If you only knew,” he breathed, brushing his lips over hers, slow, steady, and with purpose.

  Alexis slipped her hands around his neck, savoring the feel of his firm mouth to hers. “Knew what?” she rasped.

  “All those nights in bed with you, growing up, how I ached to hold you just like this. I dreamt of it.” He trailed his hands down her back, digging his fingers into her backside. “To feel you.” His lips traveled along the column of her throat, his nose brushed along her jaw. “To taste you.” She whimpered at the feel of his tongue darting out against her hypersensitive skin. “To inhale you.” His mouth reached the collar of her shirt. Pushing the neckband aside, he placed small, feather light kisses on her exposed collarbone. Her head fell back and her eyes clamped shut. “To call you mine.”

  She toyed with the hairs at the back of his neck, lost in his words and sweet touches. Her chest tightened when he stepped back just enough to meet her eyes. The lump in her throat made it hard to speak. She remembered clearly how much she wanted this as a teenager, to have him want her, and here she was, after all these years, discovering he’d felt the same way. “Am I yours?” she whispered.

  “Oh, yes. You’re mine.”

  He stepped backward, his knees hit the side of the bed. Alexis watched, frozen in place. She liked the way his nose wrinkled when he claimed her and the glimmer in his eyes while he gauged her. He wiggled his finger, beckoning her to him. “Don’t make me wait any longer.” He licked his lips, his teeth grazing his bottom one.

  Alexis stepped toward him, her heart fluttering as fast as a hummingbird’s wings. Ryan gripped her hips, pulling her to him. His mouth captured hers, coaxing his tongue between her lips. A tiny moan escaped her as his fingers moved under her shirt, sliding along the waist of her jeans.

  She trailed her hands up his spine, wrapping them around his shoulders. His tongue moved against hers, caressing, tangling, rolling, and tasting, without haste. Ryan took what he wanted from her. He commanded her, possessed her with ease. The intensity of his touch was exhilarating. Everything about him called to her. His smile, his laugh, his body, his hopes, his dreams. She wanted it all.

  Needing him badly, Alexis took another step forward, pushing Ryan down on the bed. He bounced, propping himself on his elbows, but didn’t move further. Her knees hit the mattress between his, bending slightly. She rested her hands on his shoulders, dragging her nose along his jaw, planting sweet kisses just below his ear. It amazed her how his scent swirled around her. Musky, manly, and all Ryan.

  Swift and steady, she pulled back, ripping her shirt over her head. She moved to straddle his hips, pressing her center against him. Ryan dug his fingers into her hips, thrusting up into her. She had to steady him, for the friction was exquisite, but she refused to rush anymore than he had. This was their time. Their moment. She couldn’t imagine it being any more perfect. There was time for rough, aggressive sex with him later. Just the thought of taking him with force made her insides quiver. But right now, she wanted more. She needed more. She needed him.

  Ryan sat up, pulling her to his chest. His hands moved up her back, tracing the ridges of her spine. Their mouths met in a kiss that could ignite the heavens. A shiver rose through her as he moved his hands to her stomach, slipping them up over her chest. Cupping her breasts in his hands, he hooked his thumbs under the fabric of her bra, and pushed the satin material aside, exposing her nipples. Gentle at first, he pinched her hardened peaks. When she moaned, he increased the pressure, rolling them between his fingertips.

  “I want you so bad,” she panted in his ear, taking his earlobe between her teeth and sucking it. Ryan let out a moan that resonated through them both.

  Reaching behind her back, Ryan snapped the hooks of her bra, pulling the barrier away from her skin. He tossed it aside, taking her pebbled mound between his lips. She hissed at the contact, her fingers threading through his hair. The warmth of his mouth against her teased her senses. Goose bumps broke out over her skin.

  She gasped and swallowed, her head fell back, giving him a clear passage. Ryan lavished each breast with attention, careful to tantalize her, but stopping before she reached the point of no return. When Alexis couldn’t take the torture anymore, she dipped her hands down, dragging the hem of his shirt up his torso. Ryan lifted his arms in the air for her. She tugged it over his head and discarded the fabric without care.

  Seeing him, really seeing him for the first time as a man, not a boy, did things to her mind and body that she’d never anticipated. It was almost as if he were made by the gods for her alone. His sculpted, bronze chest led her on a journey down his firm, tight abs. The passion that had developed between them seemed unquenchable
as clothing began to disappear from their bodies. Her hands longed to touch him everywhere, to learn everything about his body. Strength exuded from his hot, smooth skin. His muscles flexed, rigged and tight with each enticing touch. Whatever she’d been expecting, he was more. The boy in her mind was gone. In his place was a strong, confident man, who understood how to make her body feel alive.

  Both naked, Ryan flipped them so he was hovering over her. He reached between them, coaxing her legs open for him. Cool air whispered against her overheated skin. She squirmed in anticipation, not knowing what he would do next, but aching for whatever he had to offer. He smirked, lowering himself down, kissing her stomach. “I told you, I want to taste you.”

  Her head shot up, eyes widened at the sight of Ryan slinking between her thighs. She trembled at the thought of his mouth on her most intimate of places. Her heart began to race, as she felt his mouth against her pelvis. That’s when he licked her.

  Reflexes took over, her hips jerked in response, aching to feel him more. And he gave her more. Slow at first, his tongue moved, intense but gentle, but as her moans grew louder, his tongue became more forceful. Magic. That’s what this man was. Pure magic.

  Relentless, Ryan slipped his tongue into her depths.

  “Ryan.” His name slipped from her tongue. She gripped his hair in her hands, her body tense with need. “Please,” she begged.

  No one had ever touched her like this. It was as if Heaven had been transferred to Earth and she was being given the privilege to glimpse it, just once. Each flick of his tongue, graze of his teeth, built pressure inside her. When her climax ripped through her, every muscle of her body constricted, quivering with pure satisfaction.

  Ryan raised his head, his smile full of pride and his eyes burning with hunger. He licked his lips, moving up the length of her body, before positioning himself at her center. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, pushing her hair back from her face. “And you’re all mine.”

  Yours! She knew she should be scared of his proclamation, but instead, it thrilled her.

  Ryan rubbed himself against her, testing her, teasing her. She reached between them, wrapping her fingers around his sizeable erection, pushing him to go further. He pulled his hips away from her, shaking his head. “Condoms?”

  “I’m clean,” she admitted, hating to ruin the moment, but she knew he needed to know. “We have to be tested for work.”

  He grinned pressing his lips to hers. “I’ve never been with a woman without a condom. I’m clean, too.”

  Something about him saying he’d never felt a woman without a condom thrilled her. She may not have been the lucky one to take his innocence, but she wanted to be the first woman he truly felt. “Then don’t use one.”

  “I...uh…” He seemed confused, almost frightened.

  “I’m on the pill. I have been since I was sixteen. Please. Feel me. I need you to really feel me.”

  Whatever battle waged inside of him disintegrated at her plea. He didn’t hesitate. He pushed inside her, slow, inch-by-inch, until he was fully submerged in her depths. His breathing shallow and beads of sweat speckled his brow. “Are you okay?” he grunted.

  She cupped his face, kissing him hard and deep. “Better than okay.”

  Their mouths locked together, and hands roamed as he thrust in and out, steady yet ragged. Aching desire pulsed between them as their bodies moved together in perfect harmony. The sweet taste of his kiss coated her tongue, and when she couldn’t resist any longer, she erupted around him, but that wasn’t enough for him. He pushed harder, still slow and steady, until she climaxed again. When she thought she couldn’t take any more, he proved her wrong, taking everything she had to give. Finally, he let himself go, granting her wish of being his true first. Skin to skin, soul to soul, this moment bonded them together.

  The night played on, each second spent together giving and taking, until both were completely sated. Well past midnight, Ryan and Alexis lay in the bed, only a sliver of the moonlight slipping in through the window. He held her in his arms, caressing her silky skin. Never had a woman made him feel this way. The very thought of letting her go caused his chest to ache. Alexis fit with him, in every way. She was tight, supple, and the sound of her orgasm was a song he could listen to on repeat and never get bored of it.

  “Lex?” He pressed a kiss to her temple.

  Alexis hummed.

  “Tell me something.”

  She shifted her position, resting her elbow on his chest, as she met his gaze. He touched her kiss-swollen mouth, images of biting those seductive lips running rampant through his mind. “Why didn’t you want to get on the Ferris wheel earlier?”

  Ryan noticed the way her pulse jumped. He couldn’t quite make out her expression, but something told him it mimicked her reaction from earlier in the day.

  She started to draw small patterns over his chest. “It’s complicated.”

  “So, you’re afraid of heights.” It was more of a statement than a question. He’d suspected it earlier, but a little surprised, because he didn’t recall such a fear from when they were kids.

  Her fingers trailed down his stomach and back to his chest. “Not really heights, per se. It’s more like a fear of falling.”

  “How long have you had this fear?”

  A slight tremor shook her. Ryan twirled a strand of her hair around his finger, not pushing her, simply waiting for her response. She took in a deep breath. “All my life,” she answered, pressing her lips to his chest.

  “So does that mean you’re afraid of flying, too?”

  “Yes.” Her voice sounded so small.

  “All those plans we had of travelling together, flying the world, and you were scared to death?” He couldn’t believe it. Never in his life had he felt so guilty. Had he known she felt that way, he never would’ve subjected her to all those years of planning adventures. “Why would you…?” his question trailed off. He wasn’t even sure what he was asking.

  Alexis lifted her hand, resting it against his neck. “I would’ve done anything for you, and I figured if I had to fly, at least I’d have you with me.”

  “Would have?”

  Her lips met his, light and gentle, but there was a sort of sadness in her tone as she stated, “Still would.”

  Ryan grinned against her lips. “Let’s get out of here,” he promoted, moving out from underneath her.

  Her face scrunched up. “It’s nearly one in the morning. Wouldn’t you prefer to...you know?”

  “Damn, woman. I’m not a machine,” he teased. In reality, his body automatically reacted to her suggestion, but he had different plans, for now. “I need sustenance. Now, let’s get dressed.” He stood up from the bed, unabashed by his nakedness, offering her his hand. “Let’s go for a ride.”

  Alexis twisted her lips. “I thought I already did,” she said, waggling her brows.

  Ryan’s hand dropped along with his mouth, a little tongue-tied. A burst of laughter ripped from his chest. “Get that cute ass of yours out of the bed before I have to spank you.” He opened his palm to her.

  “Oh, really?” She smacked her lips. “You and whose army?”

  Ryan’s face turned stone cold as he stalked toward her. “I believe I don’t need an army to take you down. As you so eloquently put it, I’ve already done that.”

  “Proud of ourselves, are we?”

  Ryan grinned, liking this game. “No need to be proud when I speak the truth. And you really should consider just doing as I say, because I don’t lose, sweetheart. Ever.”

  “Oh, hell no!” She started to back away, but he was quick. Where she moved, he maneuvered to block her. Ryan relied on his training, both as a pilot and a triathlete to wrangle her in. It tickled him that she was so unsuspecting of his moves.

  “I thought you said you wanted to go somewhere,” she squealed, shrinking away from him, laughing.

  “Too late. Your ass is mine, York.” Ryan crouched down ready to pounce his prey.

&nbs
p; “Don’t you dare!” She scrambled, moving to the side of the bed, ready to jump for it. Ryan made a dive for her but missed. “Ryan, no!” she squeaked.

  Arching his back, Ryan winked at her. “Yes! I told you, you’re mine, and I meant it.” Ryan smirked at the expression on her face. Those words rang true in more than one aspect. He dodged to the side of the bed for a tactical advantage, but she diverted from him again.

  “Give it up! You couldn’t catch me when we were kids and you can’t do it now,” she jibbed.

  “Oh, that’s it!” It was time to show her who he was now. He made a rush toward her, catching her in one fell swoop. His arms locked around her like a cage, pulling her close to his body. She wiggled and squirmed against him as he tickled her, relentlessly. They laughed and played, as if they were two kids again, but their bodies knew otherwise. Any reasoning he had for leaving disappeared. Gone was his hunger for food or the need to get her away from the thoughts of their past. No, he wanted her. Again and again. And he’d have her.

  Ryan stopped tickling her, his gaze rushed down to her heaving chest. In the glow of the moonlight, he’d never seen anything more perfect than the woman trapped beneath him. His already pounding heart was viciously trying to escape through his throat. She already owned him, fully and completely.

  He leaned in and kissed her, the taste of her on his tongue was something meant only for him. That one kiss exploded into a wave of passion and lust. The sweetness of their previous lovemaking was absent, leaving only the raw need. He entered her body in one swift, sweet push. Each thrust of his hips grew harder and filled her with more force than he thought was possible.

  A little worried he might be hurting her, he slowed his movements, but Alexis wouldn’t have it. She gripped his hips, digging her nails into his flesh and pushed him to keep going. That was all he needed to lose control.

  The bed rocked against the wall; Alexis held on to the headboard for support. Harder. Deeper. Faster. He slammed into her over and over, never relenting until they reached their climax, together. The world exploded in a string of lights, breathless screams, and delicious quivers. In those wee hours of the morning, Ryan claimed her body as Alexis took ownership of his soul.